Boot tree



E. .1. BAAS BooT TREEl Jan. 11, 1938 Filed May 22 1937 20 todistribute the pressure Patented Jan. 11, 1938 PATENT OFFICE BOOT TREE Edmund J. Baas, Rochester, N. Y. Application May 22, 1937, Serial No. 144,267

7 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to what are commonly known as boot trees and is more particularly a device insertable within the leg or top portion of a boot, as distinguished from its l foot portion,l to preserve its shape between periods of use. The invention may be applied with benecial effect to riding boots and may be used as well in lacedV top work boots.

More especially the present improvements con- `10 template a boot tree which involves a pair of opposed form plates curved transversely to approximately the contour or desired contour of the front and rear of the leg or top portion of a boot within which they are 'to be positioned, and has 11'5 for its primary object the positive manually controlled adjustment of theform plates toward and away from each other in an arrangement in which this adjustable pressure is applied through tempering or ameliorating springs functioning uniformly throughout the length of the form plates.

Aifurther object may be said to be the arrangement involving manually adjusted pressure appliedlthrough means which will at the same time 25' permit the form plates to be shifted toward and away from each other at either end of the tree, independent of such adjustment, as a temporary assistance in the application of the tree within, and its removal from, a boot.

-, A ysti-llfurther object of the invention may be said to be the provision ,of an arrangement of theabove character in which the adjusting means for varying the'pressure of the form plates by bodily shitting the latter toward and away from 1-35 each other, is applied to the plates through springs loeatedin their entirety within the limits of, and` between'the form plates, so as to be protected and prevented thereby from abrading, cutting or otherwise marring the boots in the use of flo the: tree.

With these general objects in mind, the further andA more specic objects of the invention as well as its resulting advantages, will be more readily Y understood from the following description in de- '46 tailof the invention, reference being made tothe '50 Fig 2 is a vertical sectional View showing the practical application of thev invention.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional `view illustrating in detail the manner of attaching the connecting and supporting springs to the 55 form plates.

Fig, 4 is a sectional top plan View of the boot treeshown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary View in section illustrating the proposed connections be- 30 tween the springs and the adjusting stem, and

Referring now to these gures and particularly to Figs. l and 2, the two vertically elongated and trainsversely curved form plates I and II, respectively, the front and rear plates, may be formed of hard ber board, metal or any other material useful for the purpose, which is capable of being bent to the desired contour and of thereafter retaining such contour. In the present instance, the front form plate l0 is shown to be swelled or flared at its lower portion, as at I2, to extend slightly beneath the instep portion of the boot, such for instance as the boot A of Fig. 2, although. it is to be noted this latter shaping may be eliminated since it is contemplated that in any event, in connection with the present invention, it is the top or leg portion of the boot which is to be distended and shaped, irrespective of whether or not a separate shaping device, commonly known as a shoe tree, is employed within the foot portion of the boot. It is not intended that the boot tree of the present invention shall prevent the use of a shoe tree or in any way affect the shoe tree in its functions where it is employed.

Securely `fastened at their ends to the central portions of the inner surfaces of the forni plates Ill` and II, preferably at approximately the same distances from the upper and lower ends of these plates, are a pair of oppositely disposed U-shaped :springs I3 and I4. 'Ihe connections of these springs with the form plates may, if the latter be formed of ber or similar material be effected by rivets I as shown. If the form plates be however formed of metal, the connections of the springs may be completed by means of end rivets, spot welding, or other suitable instrumentalities.

By thus disposing the springs I3 and I4 in opposing relation and with their ends extending toward the ends of the form plates, the central portions of these springs closely approach each other and through these central portions, the inner end of an adjusting stem I6 is extended, its outer, upwardly projecting end extending beyond the upper ends of the form plates and being provided with a handle I'I by means of which it may be conveniently turned on its longitudinal axis.

In order to effectively associate the adjusting stern with the supporting and connecting springs I3 and I4, its inner threaded end I8 may be extended through a pair of opposing nuts I9 and 20, respectively, connected by suitable means, as by means of spot welding, to the springs I3 and i4. The inner extremity of the adjusting stem f6 may be rotatably mounted as at 2| through the nut 20, as shown in Fig. 5, and in this event the nut I 9 will be threaded to cooperate with the threaded inner portion I8 of the stern so that by rotation of the latter the nut I9 will be advanced toward or moved away from the nut 2D depending upon the direction of such rotation. In this way a comparatively slow though ne adjustment is provided for. f

On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 6, the adjusting stem Ia may have inner oppositely threaded portions 22 and 23 engaging conformable threads of the nuts Illa and 26a so that upon rotation of the stem both nuts will be movedV either toward or away from eachother depending upon the direction of rotation of the stern. In this way a more quick adjustment is provided for which may be of some advantage in certain instances of use.

In any event it is obvious that according to the invention the adjustment of the two form plates toward and away from each other and the variation of the pressure of and engagement with the leg or top portion oi the boot A will be applied through the spring members I3 and I4 whose relation to each other and to the form plates is such that in tempering or ameliorating the effect of the pressure, they distribute such pressure uniformly throughout the length' of the form plates so that the pressure against the boot will be approximately the -same at both ends of the tree. It is also obvious that in thus applying the manuallyadjusting effect of the stem I6 through the springs I3 and I4, either end of the tree may be easily rocked to move the respective ends of the form plates toward each other for thus temporarily assisting in the application of the tree Within, and its removal from, a boot. By the reverse disposal of the springs not only are their central portions so associated as to permit of ready and convenient application oi the adjusting stem, but this arrangement admits of connecting the ends` of the springs to the form plates adjacent to the upper and lower ends of the latter without any portion of the springs projecting beyond theform plates so that the latter act to protect the springs and to in turn prevent the springs from any possible abrasion or marring of the boots within which the trees are employed. Y.

What is claimed is:-

l'. A boot tree comprising a pair of elongated form plates transversely curved to iit the contour of a boot top or upper, a pair of oppositely disposed curved spring members having their ends A extending. toward and securely fastened to the end portions of the form plates, with their central portions opposed, and an adjusting screw rod extending lengthwise of and between the iorm plates, having operative connection through the said central opposed portions of the spring members, including threaded connection with at least one of said spring members whereby upon rotation of the adjusting rod the opposed portions of the springs will be more or less spaced to thus adjust the form plates toward and away from each other.

2. A boot tree including a pair of elongated form plates transversely curved to t the contour of a boot top or upper, a pair of oppositely disposed curved spring members between said form plates, having their ends extending toward the ends of the form members and securely fastened to the latter at approximately equal points with respect'to their ends, said spring members having apertured central portions in adjacent opposed relation, and an adjusting stem projecting lengthwise of and between the form plates, having a handle at its outer end and a suitable connection at one end through the aperture of 5 one of said spring members, said stem havin-g a threaded portion operatively in connection with the other spring member through its aperture whereby upon rotation of the stem the central portion of the latter spring member will be 10 shifted toward and away from the other spring member to thus adjust the form plates toward and away from each other.

3. A boot tree comprising a pair of form plates transversely curved to fit the contour of a boot 15 top or upper, a pair of oppositely curved spring members having their outer ends projecting Vtoward and securely fastened to the end portions of the form plates and having central apertured portions in adjacent opposed relation, nut blocks i0 secured to the said apertured central portions of the spring members and having threaded-bores, and a longitudinal adjusting stem having a handle at its outer end and having at its inner ends I Y oppositely threaded portions in eiective-eng'age- *25 ment through the bores of the nut blocks whereby upon rotation of the stem to shift the central portions of the spring members toward and away from each other to thus adjust the form V plates. '30

4. A boot tree including a pair of opposed transversely curved form plates, a pair of opposed spring members spacing and connecting said plates, and an adjusting member carried by said spring members and operatively associated "35 therewith for adjustably flexing the latter to thus adjust the form plates toward and away from each other.

5. A boot tree including a pair of opposed curved form plates, a pair of oppositely disposed FAO spring members spacing and connecting said form plates and having central opposed portions, and an adjusting means in operative association with said central portions of the springs for adjustably flexing the latter, to thus adjust the 'T45 form plates toward and away from each other while permitting their free angular manipulation against the tension of the springs.

6. A boot tree including a pair of opposed curved form plates, a pair of reversely curved5'0 spring members having their ends projecting toward and secured adjacent to the end portions of the form plates, and an adjusting stem extending longitudinally between the form plates and operatively in connection with the central por- '055 tions of said springs for flexing the latter to thus adjust the form plates toward and away from each other.

7. A boot tree including a pair of opposed curved form plates, a pair of spring members o spacing and connecting said plates, and an adjusting means carried by and operatively associated with said spring members for adjustably flexing the latter to thus adjust the form'plates toward and away from each other, said springs *0,5 and their connection with said form plates permitting either end of either form plate to be rocked to move the ends of the form plates toward and away from each other. ..70

EDMUND J. BAAS. 

